


Right Where They Belong

by itasca00



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: BDSM, Bottom Dan Howell, Dan and Phil World Tour 2018: Interactive Introverts, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Kinks, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, Sub Dan Howell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-02 18:41:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15802338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itasca00/pseuds/itasca00
Summary: Dan and Phil are best friends and soulmates forever, but that doesn’t mean they’re in a romantic relationship or ever have been. Jack has been a huge fan of Dan and Phil for a long time, and he’s stunned when Dan recognizes him at Interactive Introverts and starts DMing him on Twitter. Could a few quick conversations between Jack and Dan possibly turn into something more?





	1. Interactive Introverts

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfiction I’ve ever written, and it’s the first creative writing I’ve done since middle school (over a decade ago). As such, I’m sure this story is objectively terrible in many respects, but I love it and am really proud of it nevertheless! I hope you get some enjoyment from reading it.
> 
> I believe the majority of this story merits a “Teen” rating, but there are definitely some parts that merit an “Explicit” or “Mature” rating. These parts of the story aren’t essential to the overall plot, and they can easily be skipped (or read in isolation, if that’s your thing). See the notes at the end of the story for a (inherently spoilery) listing of the mature and explicit parts of this story, as well as a discussion of some of the themes that will and will not be found in this story.

The day was here at last. Jack was finally going to see Dan and Phil at Interactive Introverts! If that wasn’t exciting enough, he was also going to meet Dan and Phil at the Meet and Greet before the show. He’d been waiting for this moment for two long years, since he last got to meet them at TATINOF. He’d been so starstruck when he first met them, he was hardly able to get three words out, let alone a complete sentence. _This time, it’s going to be different_ , Jack promised himself.

On the drive to Chicago, Jack had been thinking about what he wanted to say to the boys. From watching other peoples’ Meet and Greet videos, Jack knew he’d have only thirty to sixty seconds with Dan and Phil. He hoped knowing exactly what to expect would help calm his nerves and help him make a good impression when the time actually came to meet Dan and Phil.

But what did he want to say?  Dan and Phil were his favorite YouTubers, and they were incredibly important to him, but they hadn’t saved his life or anything dramatic like that. From watching other Meet and Greet videos, he knew people told them personal things like that all the time. Jack thought it must be overwhelming, but he supposed they must be used to it.

Then again, Dan and Phil certainly had changed Jack’s life. He had discovered them three years ago when Connor Franta did a collab with them on internet trivia. Jack was instantly drawn in by Dan and Phil’s personalities, and Dan calling Connor “Daddy” left him feeling...intrigued. A few months and dozens of videos later, Jack was fully hooked on Dan and Phil. He’d bought TABINOF, he was eagerly awaiting tickets to go on sale for TATINOF, and he’d developed a huge crush on Daniel Howell.

 _It’s probably best to keep things simple_ ,Jack thought to himself, returning to the present. _I’ll just tell them that I love them and that I hope they have a good show._ That was perfect. It was a succinct and positive message, and it was certainly true...in more ways than one.

* * *

The rest of the drive to Chicago passed without incident, and Jack soon found himself standing in line for the Meet and Greet. He was already more nervous than he had expected to be. He tried watching old Dan and Phil videos on his phone, but he couldn’t concentrate. He gave up and started listening to the excited and anxious conversations that were happening around him. Time passed slowly, but eventually the line moved to the room where the Meet and Greet was actually happening.

And then there they were! A scream rippled through the line as Dan and Phil walked out, waved, and said they’d see us all in a little bit. Jack’s pulse quickened as he waved back, and he started to sweat. He wasn’t ready! As Dan and Phil walked back behind the photo backdrop, his voice of reason reassured him,  _But you are ready._ He just needed to calm down. He knew what to expect, and he knew what he wanted to say. He could do this.

When he got to the front of the line, Jack chatted calmly with the lady there. Jack remembered her from the TATINOF Meet and Greet, but he didn’t know her name. She hadn’t introduced herself two years ago, and she didn’t this time either. But she was quite friendly, and the conversation was a good distraction from what was about to happen. Jack was in the middle of a sentence when she motioned for him to step behind the backdrop. His words died in his throat, and his heart rate doubled.

Suddenly, time had no meaning. As Dan and Phil greeted him, Jack went to hug Phil, and he gave him an extra squeeze. Then he hugged Dan. Man, that felt good. As Jack stepped back, suddenly Phil was talking to him while he was signing his poster! What was he saying? Something about thanking him for coming to see them, despite the dreary weather? Jack heard himself say, “Of course! It’s totally worth it to see you guys.”

Dan’s finished signing his poster, and he asked, “Do you want me to take a selfie of us?”

Jack responded, “Yes! ...and would you hold my hands for it?”

“Sure, no problem,” Dan responded, not missing a beat.

Jack had planned on asking for this pose. He liked its intimacy, and it set this picture apart from his TATINOF selfie (in addition to the new hairstyles the three of them had adopted). He knew this was a standard pose that many people asked for, but he still felt awkward asking for _anything_ beyond the default. Jack had had to psych himself up for this moment, telling himself over and over again that there was no way that Dan and Phil would mind or refuse him. Now that the moment was here, Jack was glad he hadn’t lost his nerve.

Jack gave Dan his phone, and Dan and Phil took Jack’s hands. They were warm and soft and just as big as his, and being in the moment gave Jack a huge thrill. He looked up at his phone and smiled, and Dan snapped a photo. He paused for a moment, as if he was going to take another picture, but then he said, “Aww, that’s a cute photo,” and he let go of Jack’s hand.

Jack responded, “Yeah, I definitely agree! Thank you.” He took back his phone from Dan and poster from Phil and turned to face them again. “Alright. I love you guys, and I hope you have a good show! Bye!” Jack turned to go, content that he had said what he wanted to say.

But then Dan stopped him. “Wait, haven’t we met before?”

Jack was shocked, but he replied, “Yeah. I met you two years ago at the TATINOF Meet and Greet in Chicago. How can you possibly remember that?”

“Well, you kind of stand out. Being a man who’s our age and who’s as tall as us and all,” Dan said with a chuckle.

Jack laughed nervously to himself, still stunned that this was happening. “I suppose that’s true...but, still, it’s been two years, and you’ve met hundreds of fans since then. Surely you must have met some other tall guys at your Meet and Greets.”

Dan replied, “Yeah, but not that many, and you wrote us such a nice letter.”

Jack beamed. It was true. In his letter, he had briefly told them what they meant to him, and he had tried to impart some words of wisdom.

Dan continued, “We were really touched, weren’t we, Phil?”

“Yeah, we both liked your letter...Dan almost teared up, actually!” Phil said, smiling and looking at Dan.

“Did I? Well, I dunno, Phil, if you say so. It was a really nice letter,” Dan replied.

Jack couldn’t stop smiling. “Well, I wrote you a new one for this tour. Hopefully this one lives up to the last one!”

“Oh, really?” Dan said, “We’ll look forward to reading it later.” Phil gave Dan a look indicating that they should probably move on, and Dan said, “Well, it was nice to see you again. Enjoy the show!”

“Thanks, I will!” Jack replied, waving. He walked around the corner and had to work to keep himself from collapsing. Had that really just happened? Dan and Phil knew who he was, and they had read his letter? Jack’s mind raced as he walked back past the line of people waiting for their turn to meet Dan and Phil, and it would continue to race until the start of the show.


	2. Sliding into the DMs

Jack was dead tired. He had just spent the last several hours driving home from Interactive Introverts in Chicago. He had spent the time reliving his favorite moments of the show, and there were many of them. The show had been funny in parts and deep in parts and nicely personal, and he had had a front row seat for all of it! But he also kept thinking about his Meet and Greet with Dan and Phil. He was so pleased that he had made such an impression.

As he climbed into bed, Jack decided to send off a tweet about the show. “@danielhowell @AmazingPhil I had a great time at #InteractiveIntroverts! The show was amazing, and it was so nice to see you again! ✨❤️” Jack laid back in bed and closed his eyes. Then he opened them again when his phone screen lit up. It was a notification from Twitter. He had a new DM from none other than Daniel Howell!

“i’m glad to hear you enjoyed the show tonight! just wanted to say that you outdid yourself with your letter. i appreciated it.”

Jack was now wide awake and back in Wonderland. _How could this be happening? Dan had really taken the time to seek out his letter and read it that night? Surely it wasn’t that good_ , Jack thought incredulously, but he replied, “I’m glad you liked it! I meant every word, and it’s really the least I could do after you’ve given so much to me and the rest of your audience!”

After a minute, Dan replied, “what have i given, really? a few videos a year for people to laugh at? most youtubers do that every week. i’m nothing more than a common clown. it’s nothing.”

This was a lot for Jack to take in. Why was Dan telling him this?

Jack started to reply, but then Dan said, “i’m sorry. it’s late, and there’s a lot on my mind right now. i shouldn’t have said that.”

Undeterred, Jack responded, “Dan, you know it’s so much more than that! You share a piece of yourself in your videos. You inspire people to be more creative and to be more comfortable with themselves, and you help them feel like they’re not so alone in this world. You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished! I know I’m damn proud of you!”

Jack waited another few minutes before he got his reply. “you sure know how to make me smile. i didn’t really mean it. i am proud of my videos and everything i’ve done, but sometimes it feels like it’s not enough. i want to make a difference in the world”

Jack responded, “You make millions of people happy, and you’re lucky to have the opportunity to do it. Few people can claim to have had such a positive impact in the world.”

“you’re right. i know you’re right. thank you. you’re very sweet,” Dan responded.

“I aim to please. (Grinning Face ) It’s not every day that I get to make a gay like you feel better!” “*guy,” Jack quickly corrected, immediately feeling horrified by his typo.

In his videos, Dan had become more and more comfortable expressing attraction to men, but Jack knew this was still potentially a sensitive subject. Dan never explicitly discussed his sexuality online, and Jack hoped it didn’t seem like he was trying to cross a line.

Finally, Dan responded, “a gay like me, huh? lol. i should really be getting to bed. i have another show to do tomorrow, you know?”

Jack was crushed. Had he fucked up? He had wanted to make Dan feel empowered and confident, but now he worried that all his other messages had been undone by one careless typo. But maybe he was just overthinking things. Dan was right, he had another show to do, and he did need his rest. So Jack replied, “Yeah, I know. I hope it’s another great show tomorrow. You killed it earlier tonight! Good night, Dan!”

Jack waited for a while, hoping Dan would respond with something like, “good night, jack,” signaling that everything was okay between them. But no message came, and Jack eventually fell asleep.

* * *

The following afternoon, Jack was hard at work. It was Monday, and he had deadlines to meet that week. But last night’s conversation with Dan hung in Jack’s mind like a specter. He hoped the conversation hadn’t left a bad taste in Dan’s mouth. Jack thought about sending an apology, but it seemed like overkill. It had just been a simple typo, afterall. And he wasn’t sure Dan even wanted to talk anymore.

 _He probably just wanted to send me a simple thank you for the letter. He probably does that for lots of fans. I shouldn’t think I’m anything special_ , Jack was thinking when he received a new notification on his phone. Jack had received a new DM from Dan.

“so, you think i’m gay?” Dan said.

Mortified, Jack quickly replied, “No! That was a typo! I didn’t mean anything by it. I promise!”

“...so you think i’m straight?” Dan replied.

 _Why me?_ Jack thought to himself. “No, I, er…” Jack had to pause to collect his thoughts before he continued to type. He wanted to be as diplomatic as possible. “For years now, you’ve intentionally avoided saying anything explicit about your sexuality, right? You’re entitled to your privacy, so doesn’t that mean I’m not entitled to any opinion?”

Jack waited for a response. “true. i don’t think anyone should speculate publicly about anyone else’s sexuality. it’s none of their business. but this is a private conversation, and i’m genuinely curious about your opinion. it’s my sexuality, and i’m giving you permission to discuss it with me.”

Jack gulped. This was not the conversation he expected to be having on Monday afternoon, let alone with Dan Howell. “Well…I’ve honestly always been a bit confused. On the one hand, you often say and do things that come across as pretty queer to me. On the other hand, I sometimes get the impression that you intentionally do these things because you think their good things an ally should do.”

Jack paused for a moment before continuing, “But the thing I always come back to is my gut feeling about you. I feel the same way about you as I did about Connor Franta and Joey Graceffa and Scotty Dynamo and Shane Dawson and Ricky Dillon before they came out. When I watched their videos, I got this strange feeling that they were like me in some way. That they weren’t totally straight. I can’t explain it. And when I learned they were ‘straight,’ I dismissed my feelings as silly and illogical. Now they’re all out, and I put a lot more faith in my gut feelings, and those gut feelings are just there for you. (Person Shrugging ) Idk. That’s what I think.”

Jack’s phone was clenched tightly in his hand as he sent off the message, and he was filled with doubt. Had he gone too far? He knew rampant speculation about Dan’s sexuality was something Dan had to deal with all the time, and he wondered if Dan had been hoping he would say something else.

Dan finally responded, “i’d say your gut feeling is correct again.”

Jack’s heart leapt into his chest, and a smile broke out on his face. He actually wanted to cry. This was so overwhelming. For years, Jack had been watching Dan and Phil, not wanting them to feel the pressure to do anything they didn’t want to do, but nevertheless secretly hoping that one day they would come out as not entirely straight. Say that they had some attraction to other men.

From a broader perspective, these things didn’t matter, of course. No matter what, Jack enjoyed watching Dan and Phil’s videos, and he liked them as human beings. But it meant something to him that he could relate to Dan in this way. It meant something to him that Dan understood some of the oppression Jack had felt growing up and that they shared the special bond that exists between all queer people. Jack was ecstatic, but he also recognized that Dan had to place an inordinate amount of trust in him to reveal this part of himself to Jack.

Jack tried to make his response seem calmer than he felt. “Thank you for trusting me, and thank you for sharing this with me. This doesn’t change anything, but it means more to me than I can say. ❤️”

Dan replied, “but i’m not gay. and it doesn’t mean that me and phil are together. you can get that out of your head right now.”

Jack felt like he had just gotten whiplash. Trying not to take offense, he replied, “Noo! I never thought that. To me, it always seemed like you and Phil had the same dynamic as I once had with my queer roommates. I always got the sense that you were just comfortable with each other, and you grew to platonically love each other over the years. Nothing more.” For good measure, Jack added, “And we all know you like vagina, Dan. (Face With Rolling Eyes )”

“well good. because that’s all there is to it,” Dan replied.

Jack could almost hear his huff of frustration over the internet. By the sudden and aggressive way he had responded, Jack guessed that this wasn’t quite all there was to it.

Dan replied again, “i’ve got to go. tour stuff.”

Jack said, “Of course! I understand. Talk to you later?” He added the last part hopefully.

“ttyl,” Dan responded curtly.

The tone didn’t matter. This wasn’t the last Jack would hear from Dan.


	3. San Francisco

Over the course of the next week, Jack spoke with Dan daily, often more than once in the same day. They talked all about their lives, professional and personal, things Dan never shared on camera, but the nature of his relationship with Phil was never brought up again. As the days passed, Jack felt himself becoming closer and closer with Dan, and he was pretty sure that Dan was feeling the same way.

One evening, Dan said, “so you’re self-employed, right?”

Jack replied, “Right.”

“and that means you can take time off whenever you want, right?”

Jack laughed, thinking he knew where this was going. “Well, within reason. Right.”

“well. erm. i was thinking. i have a day off from the tour coming up. and i just thought. maybe you’d like to come see me?”

“Well, I don’t know...” Jack said, wanting to be coy.

“right. i’m sure you’re very busy. i shouldn’t have asked. sorry.”

“Dan, I was only teasing! I’d love that. ”

“oh! right. i knew that. ahem. i was thinking we could go to san francisco. the tour’s already in california, and i can pay to fly you out.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Dan, I can pay for my own flight ticket! You know I make a decent living. But San Francisco sounds great! I love that city. Have you ever been?”

“yep. youtube and google headquarters are in that area.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’ll have to show me around, lol.”

“jack, i can’t do that! we’ll have to keep an extra low profile if we do this.”

Jack came back to his senses. He had been kidding about visits to the headquarters, but he hadn’t been thinking about the challenges for Dan this trip might cause. He replied, “Don’t worry. I know that. Whatever happens, it will be worth getting to spend some time with you.”

“good. i feel the same way.”

* * *

Jack was standing in the hotel lobby, looking for Dan. They hadn’t met at the airport. Dan was too often recognized at airports. Jack spotted Dan coming toward him from across the room. Jack started to move towards him, but he stopped abruptly when he saw that Dan was accompanied by Phil. He started moving again, more hesitantly this time. Jack was happy to see Phil, but this wasn’t part of the plan. Jack and Dan had talked very little about Phil, and Jack had no idea how much he knew about their...situation.

Dan started speaking nervously while they were still about ten feet apart. “Hi!” Dan waved. “You know Phil, of course. Haha. He decided he should come with too when I told him that I was surprising a _lucky random fan_ here.”

Jack smiled unconvincingly. “Well, that’s great! I was excited to see Dan again...” Dan shot Jack a look. “You know, _after I saw you in Chicago_ ,” Jack continued, “But it’s even better getting to see both of you!” Jack looked from Dan to Phil. Was Phil buying any of this? Jack was no actor.

Dan picked up the story. “Right! Chicago. You remember Jack, Phil. He wrote us a letter. He was randomly chosen for this contest to...”

Phil cut him off, “Alright, you two. You can drop this charade right now!” Jack looked at Dan. He looked pale. Phil continued, “I know what’s going on here, and I just came to provide cover. Dan, you should have thought this through more! Why would there be an Interactive Introverts contest that I had never heard of and that only involved you and not me?”

Dan looked at his feet, defeated. “Because...” he started.

Phil cut him off again, “And after you’ve been spending even more time on your phone than usual. Smiling to yourself night and day. Telling me that some random old friends had reached out, and you were reminiscing about the past. Not very convincing, was it? I know you better than that, Dan!” Phil was looking mighty pleased with himself for working out the mystery.

Dan shuffled his feet uncomfortably before looking back up at Phil. “Alright, so you know...” Dan smiled. He couldn’t stay uncomfortable with Phil looking at him like that. “So, cover, you say?”

Phil responded, “Yeah! My plan is we post a selfie taken at the Golden Gate Bridge. Then no one will be surprised if they see us in San Francisco today. I’ll go back to hide in the hotel, and you can just say that I’m on a secret mission at YouTube or something if you’re spotted without me!”

Jack said, “And I can pretend to be a tour employee. This sounds like a good plan to me. Thanks, Phil!”

Phil responded, “I just want you two _lovebirds_ to have a good time!”

Dan said, “We’re not… Whatever. Alright, let’s go.”

* * *

The trip to the Golden Gate Bridge had been uneventful. Being such a popular tourist attraction, Phil decided that they should try to be as quick as possible with their selfie to avoid attracting too much attention. All in all, they had been in and out of the park in fifteen minutes, and only two people had stopped them to ask for their own selfies.

Phil was now safely back at the hotel, and Jack and Dan were alone together for the first time, having been dropped off in Golden Gate Park. Jack was quiet as he lead Dan to the National AIDS Memorial Grove. Having been there before, Jack knew they would be able to find some refuge from the crowds of San Francisco there.

Together, Jack and Dan took a lap of the grove, taking in the solemn beauty of the place, before sitting down on a bench under the coniferous trees. Dan broke their silence. “I’m sorry about Phil. I did everything I could to keep him from coming…”

Jack interjected, “No, don’t be sorry. I love Phil! And I think his cover plan was good. What would people think if they saw you here in San Francisco and Phil with the tour bus in Los Angeles?”

Dan sighed. “I love Phil too, and you’re probably right. It’s just that...well, I’ve never done this before. I’ve never dated anyone while I’ve been on YouTube. For so long, it’s just been me and Phil. We’ve been through so much together, and I didn’t know how to talk to him about this stuff.”

Jack said, “Well, that’s understandable, but I thought Phil seemed very supportive! I don’t think you should worry about talking about us with him. Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but watching your videos together for years has given me the impression that you two have an amazingly close friendship. I think if you’re happy, Phil will definitely be happy for you.”

Dan paused for a moment before smiling and saying, “You’re right. I was overthinking things.”

Dan turned away from Jack and looked around, as if he was seeing their surroundings for the first time. Jack kept his eyes on Dan’s face, then dropped his gaze to Dan’s hands, which were lying palm-down on his legs. He felt the sudden urge to take Dan’s hand in his own, and his pulse quickened. He glanced back up at Dan’s face and found that he was still looking away. Returning his eyes to Dan’s hands, Jack summoned up all the courage he had and reached out and grabbed Dan’s hand.

Dan looked at Jack startled, but then he smiled. Dan repositioned his hand to interlace his fingers with Jack’s and return his grip. Much to Jack’s pleasant surprise, Dan went even further, scooting a bit closer to Jack and laying his head on Jack’s shoulder. They stayed like that for a moment, feeling each other’s warmth. Then, Dan said, “I’m really happy I get to spend today with you.”

Jack replied, “I’m glad I get to spend today with you too.”

Dan asked, “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

Jack chuckled. “Something fun that may be a little bit outside your comfort zone... I hope you trust me.”

Dan immediately replied, “I trust you, Jack.”


	4. The Edge

The Edge was a popular gay bar in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District. Dan was standing in front of it with a look of apprehension on his face.

Jack said, “You said you trusted me. Now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is! We can leave if you don’t have any fun, but I want you to try it. I love coming to places like this once in a while, and I think you will too.” Jack looked at Dan, and, without waiting for a response, he took Dan’s hand and lead him into the bar.

The place was packed, as usual, and Jack took Dan up to the main bar to order a drink. As they waited to be served, Jack couldn’t help but notice Dan’s gaze lingering on the muscular man dressed in a harness and a jockstrap dancing on the counter. Jack smiled, reassuring himself that this had been a good idea after all. Jack and Dan got their drinks and went off to stand by a wall where they could people watch without being disturbed.

Dan’s expression reminded Jack of his first time in a gay bar. He had been a freshman in college, savoring the experience of being in a new place where he was out to everyone. It had been New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest nights of the year, and the club had been packed with people. Jack hadn’t considered before that there could be such variety in the way gay men looked and dressed. Everyone was so happy and so free in the way they were holding hands and kissing and touching each other. Since then, Jack had always felt that there was a kind of magic and power in queer spaces like this, and he was happy to be the one to introduce Dan to this kind of experience.

While they were people watching, Jack told Dan about his first time in a gay bar, and, in turn, Dan told Jack about his experiences with clubs. Throughout the evening, they swapped several stories from their adulthood and childhood. With his accent and good looks, Dan was checked out by more than a few men in the bar that night. Initially, Jack felt a pang of insecurity whenever he noticed this happening, but it soon went away. Dan never seemed to notice his admirers, and he seemed to only have eyes for Jack.

Soon enough, one drink had turned into several, and Jack realized that he and Dan were both a bit drunk. Jack finished the last bit of his current drink, jerked his head toward the exit, and said, “Let’s go. I want to take you next door.” Next door was a gay dance club called Badlands. When his inhibitions were lowered by alcohol, Jack didn’t feel embarrassed dancing, and he was hoping that Dan would feel the same way.

Dan replied simply, “Alright. I’ll follow you.”

Jack took Dan’s hand, lead him out of The Edge, into Badlands, and onto the dancefloor. Turning back to face Dan, Jack saw that he was already moving his head a bit to the beat of the music. Jack and Dan faded into the sea of people, and they awkwardly started dancing with each other. At first, they just moved their bodies back and forth with the music. But the alcohol made made Jack feel brave, and he eventually found himself twirling and dipping Dan to the pop music being played.

Dan was apparently feeling uninhibited too, and he ended up backing his ass into Jack’s crotch and grinding on him, all the time with a smile on his face. Maybe it was a bit trashy, but they didn’t care. They were having too much fun. During a slower song, Jack wrapped his arms around Dan while Dan was facing away from him. Jack held the position and just swayed to the music with their bodies pressed up against each other. He wished the night would never end.

* * *

Eventually, the club closed for the night, and Jack and Dan made their way back to their hotel. Dan and Phil were sharing the room next to Jack’s, but Jack and Dan didn’t see any reason to wake Phil up. They were both still a little drunk, and Dan didn’t trust himself not to accidentally make a racket as he was preparing for bed. Not so secretly, Jack and Dan also weren’t yet ready to part company. They were both leaving San Francisco later that day, and they wanted to spend as much time together as possible.

Jack took off his shoes, socks, and jeans and flopped down on his bed, exhausted. Dan started to do the same, but he paused before getting into bed. There were two beds in the room, and Jack was hoping that Dan would decide to share a bed with Jack. Dan paused for a moment longer before asking quietly, “Do you mind if I join you?”

Jack smiled, motioned with his hand, and replied, “Come here.”

Dan climbed into bed and into Jack’s arms. Jack laid on his back as Dan pressed his front against Jack’s side. Dan laid his head on Jack’s shoulder and his hand on his chest, and Jack wrapped his arm around Dan and rested his hand on Dan’s hip, pulling Dan in closer to him. Jack sighed contentedly while looking into Dan’s eyes before closing his own eyes to go to sleep. Jack felt Dan moving his fingers slightly on Jack’s chest, so Jack opened his eyes again and looked back at Dan.

Dan was staring at his own hand with a neutral expression on his face, but he looked back at Jack when he noticed that Jack had opened his eyes again. Jack thought he detected a hint of expectation in Dan’s expression, and he could guess what that was about. Silently, Jack repositioned himself so that he and Dan were face to face. Then, he leaned in, closed his eyes, and started to kiss Dan.

They started slowly and gently, barely pressing their lips together, but they quickly grew more passionate. Jack took Dan’s bottom lip between his and applied a bit more pressure. After repeating this kiss a few more times, switching occasionally between Dan’s top and bottom lips, Jack felt Dan open his mouth a bit. Jack mimicked Dan, and their tongues met. Jack rolled Dan onto his back and got on top of him. He reached up and grabbed the back of Dan’s hair and pulled on it gently.

Dan let out a short gasp of pain mixed with pleasure, and he brought his hands up to Jack’s face, pulling Jack in to kiss him again. Dan released Jack’s face, and one of Dan’s hands began to wander. He felt it travel up and down his T-shirt and around to his back. Then Dan put both of his hands on Jack’s biceps and squeezed. Jack responded by slipping his left hand between Dan and the bed and sliding it down Dan’s back until it was resting on his ass. Jack pressed his right hand between Dan’s shoulder blades, and he gently squeezed one of Dan’s cheeks with his left hand.

Jack and Dan continued to kiss and grope each other passionately for a few minutes, but they both slowly cooled off, reverting to more and more gentle and sweet kisses. Jack was more than content with what had just happened, and he didn’t want to go too far too fast. Jack felt incredibly close to Dan, but they really hadn’t known each other that long. Judging by where Dan’s hands had and hadn’t gone, Jack guessed that Dan felt the same way.

Eventually, Jack rolled off of Dan and laid back down on the bed on his side. Dan joined him silently, turning his back to Jack and pressing it against him. Jack wrapped his arms around Dan, and Dan took Jack’s hands and hugged them into his chest. Jack gave Dan one last kiss on the neck before he closed his eyes. Exhausted, Jack and Dan were soon fast asleep. They cuddled with each other the whole night through.


	5. Exposed

Jack woke up with a start to someone knocking at the door. It was Phil. “Dan? Jack? Are you in there? We need to talk!”

Jack hurriedly got up and pulled his pants back on before answering the door. Phil burst into the room.

“What is it, Phil?” Jack asked.

Phil looked from Dan to Jack. “Did you go out to a club last night?”

Jack glanced at Dan before responding, “Yeah, we did. Why?”

Phil continued, “Well, erm, someone recognized Dan, and they posted a picture. People are freaking out!”

Dan grabbed his phone, instantly furious. “Motherfucker!” he seethed.

Jack said to Phil, “Let me see.”

Phil pulled out his phone and showed Jack the tweet. It read, “Woah, @danielhowell your gay is really showing now! But what’s this? That’s not @AmazingPhil you’re with... I guess #phan is officially over. (Kiss Mark )(Broken Heart )(Waving Hand Sign ≊ Waving Hand)” Attached was a photo of Dan dancing with Jack at Badlands. It was dark, and the photo was a bit blurry, but it was obvious that it was Dan in the photo.

 _What an asshole_ , Jack thought. He looked over at Dan who was still scrolling furiously on his phone. Jack gave Phil back his phone and sat down on the bed next to Dan. He reached for Dan’s free hand. Dan stiffened and pulled his hand away. He looked up from his phone at Jack, anger burning in his eyes.

Jack looked back at Dan with a pleading expression and cocked his head to the side. He wanted to say, “Come on. It’s me. You can trust me. I’m here for you,” but he let the words go unsaid. As Jack and Dan continued to look at each other, Jack saw a bit of the anger drain from Dan’s face.

Dan took Jack’s hand, and he said with a huff, “I’m so tired of this, Jack! I have no fucking privacy! Everywhere I go, people are watching me and scrutinizing me and judging me. I can’t even have one fucking evening to myself. One evening to share with you. It’s so unfair!”

Jack said, “I know. You’re right. It is unfair that the only privacy you can get is in your own apartment. I wish there was a way for you to escape when you needed a break, but we both know that there really isn’t... All I can say is that I’m here for you.” Jack looked up at Phil, who was awkwardly trying to look busy on his phone. “And I’m sure Phil is to. We can deal with this situation. You’ve dealt with similar situations before, and you can do it again. I believe in you.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Dan said. His old armor, developed from years of experience as a public figure, was back on, but he still clung tightly to Jack’s hand. “Fuck it. Let the tweet stay up. People can think and say whatever the hell they want. I don’t need to respond. I don’t fucking care!”

Phil put his phone away and sat down on the bed across from Jack and Dan. He said cautiously, “I think we have to say something. You know as well as I do that some people just aren’t prepared to accept the idea that we’re not together. We aren’t responsible for anyone else’s actions but, if they did anything reckless because we didn’t act... I dunno. It would be awful.”

Dan nodded slowly. “Okay, _fine_. What do you think I should do?”

Phil said, “Actually, I think it’s pretty simple. You can just tweet something generic and indirect. Something like, ‘don’t feed trolls. ignore them or block them, but don’t interact with them. attention is all they want. don’t give it to them.’”

Dan processed Phil’s suggestion for a moment, then he smiled for the first time that morning and said, “I think that’s brilliant, Phil.”

Jack agreed. The tweet implied that the photo was fake, made and distributed by a “troll,” and it instructed everyone to ignore that troll completely. Some people would undoubtedly still send hate to the person who tweeted the photo, but that was unavoidable, no matter what Dan and Phil did. Others would still question the authenticity of the photo in question, and there would be tons of discussion and rumors about the photo floating around online. But the tweet ensured that no definitive conclusions could be drawn from the photo. By adding some ambiguity to an objective reality, the status quo could be maintained. Jack thought this was very much an on brand response for Dan and Phil.

Phil looked pleased with himself. Jack was reminded that this was the second time in as many days that Phil had come to Dan’s rescue, and he was intensely grateful that Dan had a friend like Phil in his life. Responding to Dan, Phil said, “I thought so too! I’m glad that’s settled, then.” Phil beamed, then, suddenly looking slightly embarrassed, he added, “I guess I should leave you two to your morning now. Sorry for having to barge in like that!”

Dan responded, “Pfft, Phil! Don’t be like that. You did the right thing. Thank you.” Dan turned to Jack. He glanced quickly back to Phil, then gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek. “And thank you, Jack, for being here and keeping me from completely losing my head.”

Jack blushed. “It’s nothing. I’m just glad I was able to help!”

* * *

The rest of the morning was a blur. Dan tweeted Phil’s suggestion, then Jack and Dan ordered some room service. They chatted casually as they enjoyed their breakfast, trying to keep their minds off the photo and their impending departure. After breakfast, though, they had to start showering, packing, and getting ready to leave. Dan and Phil were meeting up with their tour bus outside of San Francisco, and Jack had to catch a plane back home. Jack stalled as much as he could, but the time inevitably came when he had to leave for the airport if he was going to make his flight.

Jack walked up to Dan and said, “Well, I think I have to go now. I had a fantastic time this weekend, and I hope you did too, despite everything that happened.”

Dan pulled Jack into a tight hug and said, “I wouldn’t trade this weekend for anything in the world. I’m going to miss you so fucking much!” They broke apart, took each other’s hands, and leaned in for a long, deep kiss. Then, Dan said, “Look, we only have like six more weeks left of the tour. It will fly by in no time! As soon as I get back to London, we can see each other again.”

Jack thought that sounded like an eternity, but he knew that there was nothing that could be done. So he said, “You’re right. Six weeks is nothing! We’ll be seeing each other in no time!” He smiled unconvincingly, then went in for another kiss and tight hug and said, “Alright, I should really go now.” Without waiting for Dan to reply, Jack turned away from him, picked up his things, grabbed his bag, and walked towards the door. He opened the door, turned back to Dan, flashed a quick smile, waved, and said “Bye!”

Dan waved back and said, “Bye!”

Jack walked through the door, and it slammed shut behind him. He walked quickly away from the hotel room, and he soon found himself in a Lyft speeding toward the airport, further and further away from Dan. This was torture! Jack couldn’t do anything to distract himself from the way he was feeling. He kept replaying scenes from the last twenty-four hours over and over in his head. He saw Dan smile at him. He heard his laugh. They were back at The Edge, then dancing at Badlands like no one was watching. He felt Dan press his body against Jack in bed, and he felt their lips meet for the first time.

Jack felt numb and empty. He wanted to cry and smile at the same time. Overwhelmingly, he longed for Dan to be back with him again. Six weeks! He couldn’t feel like this for six weeks. It would kill him! Jack knew he had to calm down. He had felt these feelings with old crushes and boyfriends, perhaps to a lesser extent, but, logically, he knew that their intensity would weaken over time. This knowledge did nothing to make Jack feel any better in the moment, and he was starting to feel worried for the first time.

There was no denying it to himself; Jack had completely fallen for Dan. And if things didn’t work out, Jack was going to have his heart broken. He could manage six more weeks on tour, sure, but then what? Jack and Dan lived on separate continents! How was that going to work? Jack took a deep breath, and he tried to counter his emotions with logic. It would work, or it wouldn’t. He would just have to wait and see, and there was no point in worrying about it now. New love was always worth trying for, and heartbreak was a risk in any relationship.

As he reached his gate at the airport, Jack’s heart leapt and he was pulled back into himself when he saw that he had received a text from Dan. “hey,” it read.

“Hey,” he responded.

Jack smiled as he read Dan’s response, “i miss you.”

Jack quickly typed back, “I miss you too!”

Talking to Dan instantly made Jack feel one hundred times better. Everything would work out. It just had to!


	6. Buddies in London

Amazingly, six weeks had actually gone by in a flash. Jack had buried himself in his work, and Dan had obviously been very busy with the tour. Over the weeks, Jack and Dan had established a routine. Every night after the show as Dan was preparing for bed, they would video chat with each other. Being on opposite sides of the world, these daily chats happened right after Jack got up to start his day.

They would chat idly about how the show had gone and any noteworthy shenanigans that had happened on the road, and Jack would tell Dan about his previous day. They couldn’t talk too long, as Dan had to make sure he was well rested for the next show. Nevertheless, seeing Dan’s face and hearing his voice was always the highlight of Jack’s day.

About eight hours after their call, near the end of Jack’s work day, Dan would wake up and text Jack, and Jack would wish Dan luck with the next show. Sometimes, they would exchange a few more texts. Dan would tell Jack about the dreams he had had, or Jack would tell Dan about something interesting that had happened to him that day. Unfortunately, the tour schedule was pretty tight, and Dan always had to go sooner than both of them would have liked.

Over the course of the tour, Jack felt like he was in a holding pattern. Jack’s desire to be with Dan had quickly settled down to a dull ache. It was uncomfortable but manageable, and he could easily find ways to distract himself from his feelings. Now that the tour was ending soon, Jack was feeling more and more anxious about what was to come. Anxious, but also excited.

In San Francisco, Dan had said that they could visit each other once he got back in London, but neither one of them had brought up the possibility of a visit since then. Jack had wanted to see how the rest of the tour went before making any plans. Now that the tour was ending, he was still dying to see Dan again, and he was working up the courage to ask if he could come see Dan in London at some point later this year.

Luckily for Jack, Dan brought up the subject first during one of their video chats. After they had covered the usual topics for the day, Dan said, “So. I’ve been thinking. Do you still want to see me after the tour ends?”

Jack smiled and struggled to keep his voice even. Trying not to seem too eager, he replied, “Yeah, I would like that. Do you still want to see me?”

Sounding slightly relieved, Dan said, “Good, I’m glad. Yep. I definitely want to see you again.” Dan paused for a moment before continuing, “I wanted to ask if you’d be okay coming to visit me in London. I would come to see you in America. It’s just that, I’ve been away from home for so long, and it’s difficult for me to travel anywhere without being noticed... You could stay with me and Phil if you wanted.”

Feeling ecstatic, Jack replied, “That would be great! I’ve never been to London, and I’ve always wanted to go. When would be a good time for me to visit?”

“Well, what does your work schedule look like?” Dan asked.

“I think I can make pretty much anything work. I might have to do a little work while I’m there, depending on the exact timing, but I’m pretty flexible.” Jack responded.

“Okay, what about a week after I get back? That will give me a bit of time to recharge after the tour, but then we don’t have to wait _too_ much longer to see each other.” Dan paused for a moment before continuing, “Oh, erm. How long do you think you want to stay?”

Jack smiled at the wording. How long did he _want_ to stay? That was a difficult question to answer... But he said, “Could I stay for a week? Come in on a Friday and stay through the following Sunday?”

Dan replied, “Yeah, that sounds good. I think that will give us some time to _really_ get to know each other. You know what I mean?”

Jack wondered if Dan had the same thing on his mind that Jack had on his. He said, “For sure! I’m so excited! I already can’t wait.”

“Me too,” Dan replied with a smile.

* * *

In the coming days, Jack booked his flight to London, and the Interactive Introverts tour ended. Dan was sad that the tour was over and excited to finally be headed home, and Jack felt an incredible second-hand pride for all the work Dan and Phil had put into the tour. In the week leading up to his trip to London, Jack hardly got any work done. He was too excited about seeing Dan again, and Jack and Dan’s daily conversations had become longer now that they were in more compatible time zones.

Before he knew it, Jack and Dan’s time apart was over. Jack had landed in London and was in a taxi on his way to Dan and Phil’s apartment. As he exited the taxi and approached the door, Jack’s heart started to race. “I’m here!” he texted Dan. He stood awkwardly at the door for a few minutes before he heard it being unlocked.

The door was flung open, and Dan rushed out to give Jack a kiss. They embraced, and Dan said, “I’m so happy to see you!”

Jack grinned and said, “I’m so happy to see you too!” After a moment, the pair let go of each other and made their way to Dan’s room with Jack’s luggage.

After Jack put his luggage down, Dan came up to him and gave him another kiss. “We’re going to have a lot of fun this week,” he said.

Jack replied, “I think so too! What do you have planned for today?”

Dan said, “Well, you must be tired from your flight, but you should try to stay awake until this evening.”

Dan was right. Jack had taken a redeye flight. He had gotten a little sleep, but not that much.

Dan continued, “I thought we could see some of the tourist attractions today... I hope you don’t mind, but I asked Phil to join us. It’s just less conspicuous if we’re seen together.”

Jack didn’t mind at all. He understood, and he liked spending time with Phil anyway. He was sure he would have plenty of alone time with Dan throughout the week. So he said, “That sounds great!”

* * *

It had been a good day. Whenever he visited a new city, Jack’s favorite stop was at the city’s art museums, so Dan and Phil had taken him to the National Gallery. After several hours of exploration, Jack, Dan, and Phil had taken a taxi to Buckingham Palace, then walked to the Houses of Parliament, taking in the sights along the way over the course of an hour or so. Afterwards, the trio had gotten dinner before returning to Dan and Phil’s apartment. Together, they had watched some Netflix for a little while, but Jack kept falling asleep.

Around 9pm, Jack decided that it was late enough for him to actually go to bed. He said goodnight to Phil, and Dan walked Jack to his room. It was too early for Dan to go to bed himself, but he wanted to get Jack situated and say goodnight to him in private. Jack changed into his pajamas and got into Dan’s bed, and Dan switched off the lights and climbed in after him. Dan kissed Jack, cuddled up against him, and said, “I hope you had a good time today.”

Jack responded in a tired-sounding monotone with his eyes half closed, “I had a fantastic time. You and Phil are great tour guides and hosts. I’m expecting good things from the rest of this week.”

Dan said, “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.” After a moment, Dan said, “Jack?”

“Mmm?” Jack responded, his eyes fully closed now.

“Good night,” Dan said.

“Good night, Dan,” Jack said.

Dan laid pressed against Jack. Dan felt his breathing deepen, and Jack began to snore softly. Dan smiled, gave Jack a light squeeze and said under his breath, “I love you.”


	7. JackAndDanAndPhilGAMES

Jack woke up the next morning with Dan sleeping by his side. He decided to take a mental photograph of the moment. Dan looked so precious when he was sleeping! It was a little after 6am, so Jack did his best not to disturb Dan as he got up. He took his backpack out into the living room and set up his laptop to get some work done. Dan had said to help himself to some of his cereal in the morning, but Jack wanted to try to wait to eat breakfast with Dan. He was hoping to get on the same sleep schedule as Dan today.

It was around 10am when Dan came into the living room. Jack looked up from his computer and said, “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

Dan smiled and said, “Yep. You’re a good person to sleep with.”

Jack rolled his eyes at the innuendo and said, “Lol, thanks.”

Dan asked, “What have you been up to? Seen any good memes this morning?”

Jack laughed. “No, I’ve just been getting some work done.”

Dan cocked his head to the side and asked, “Will you tell me about it?”

Jack patiently explained the problem he had been working on. His client was a potato chip manufacturer that wanted to change the aerodynamic properties of their chips. Their chips were breaking too frequently during a certain stage of production, and the company had secured some time on a national supercomputer to run simulations to test the durability of new chip shapes. Jack had been hired to write the simulation software in a way that would allow it to make use of the large number of processors on the supercomputer.

Dan was very interested, and he peppered Jack with questions throughout Jack’s explanation. When Jack was finished, Dan shook his head and said, “Wow, that’s brilliant! You’re so fucking smart! I can’t imagine even _thinking_ about doing something like that.”

Jack said, “Oh, come on! We’re all good at different things. Look at how popular you are online. I could never make YouTube videos like you do.”

This was Jack’s standard response whenever someone complimented him on his intelligence. While he did mean it every time he said it, Jack secretly really liked it when guys were impressed by his job.

“Yeah, that’s true I guess. Few people have what it takes to be a full-time internet hobo. You know what I mean?” Dan said with a smirk.

Jack laughed out loud and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. So...are you hungry? I could definitely use some breakfast.”

Dan said he was, and he went to the kitchen and started making a bowl of cereal for himself and Jack. While Dan was preparing their highly gourmet meal, Phil walked in and said, “Good morning, you two! Mmmmm! Is that cereal I smell…?”

Dan rolled his eyes and said, “Alright, I’ll make you a bowl too.”

Phil and Jack sat down at the kitchen table, and Dan brought out the bowls of cereal he had prepared. Phil immediately started munching away happily, and he said, “Mmmm. This is great, Dan! You made it just the way I like it!” Dan rolled his eyes again, and Phil continued, “So, Jack, what do you want to do today?”

Jack replied, “Well, you both always say that you spend ninety percent of your free time playing video games, so I was hoping we could maybe do that?”

Phil narrowed his eyes and said in a fake menacing voice, “You’re on, Jack! But I have to warn you, you’re going down!”

Dan rolled his eyes yet again, and yelled, “Phil!”

Jack couldn’t help but laugh. Phil was hilarious, and the dynamic between him and Dan was exactly the same as it was in their videos.

Phil ignored Dan and continued, “What game did you have in mind?”

Jack replied, “Well, ever since I watched that documentary that Dan did on eSports a few years ago, I’ve been obsessed with League of Legends! The documentary made it look fun, and Cat, uh, Valdes had also been hyping it up. So I downloaded it, and I’ve been playing pretty much every day since. And, yeah. I was hoping we could play that.”

Dan let out a burst of laughter and said, “Phil’s never played League before! I have to see this!”

Phil shot back, “Just you wait! I bet I’ll be able to beat you with one hand tied behind my back in no time!”

After breakfast, Phil went about creating his account, and Jack created a new account on the EU West server. While Phil did the tutorial and played a few bot games with free champions, Jack bought his favorite champions on his new account and set up runes and item sets for those champions. In the meantime, Dan played a warm-up game. Eventually, they were all ready to go. Jack was a top main, Dan was a support main in the bot lane, and Phil had chosen to try out mid.

The trio started out playing a few bot games to give Phil a bit more experience. Jack and Dan easily crushed their lanes, and Phil eventually won his lane too. After a while, Dan successfully pressured Phil into playing his first PVP game. Phil lost his lane, but Jack and Dan were able to compensate for Phil’s lack of experience. It helped a lot that Jack’s MMR didn’t match his skill level at all. After about thirty minutes, the game was over, and they had won!

“Wow, that was so intense!” Phil exclaimed, “This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but it’s so much fun! Can we play again? I want to get better!”

Jack and Dan shared a knowing glance, and Jack said, “I think you’ve caught the League bug. If you haven’t played more than fifty games by the end of this week, you should consider yourself lucky.”

Phil’s eyes bulged at Jack, and he said, “Fifty!? No way. That would be like...” He paused to do some mental math, then said, “Over thirty-five hours of gameplay.”

Jack replied, “What can I say? League is addictive.”

* * *

By the end of the day, Jack, Dan, and Phil had played sixteen games together with only two short breaks for lunch and dinner. True to his word, Phil had been eager to improve and kept asking to play just one more game. Jack didn’t mind. Though he hadn’t played this many games in a row since he had first gotten into League, Jack still liked playing, and he especially liked talking strategy with Dan. It felt good to be working toward the same goal on the same team as him.

Sixteen games was more than enough, though. Jack was getting tired, and he wanted to spend some time alone with Dan. He had said as much, and Dan and Phil both agreed that they were ready to call it a night. Now, Jack was in Dan’s room. He was putting on his pajamas, but he had no intention of going to sleep any time soon.


	8. All the Way

Jack got into bed with Dan, and they immediately got into cuddling position. Jack liked that this had already become an assumed thing whenever they were in bed together. They laid in the same position they had laid during the first night they spent together. Jack was on his back with one arm around Dan, and Dan was on his side with his front pressed to Jack’s side and one of his hands on Jack’s chest. Jack and Dan rested there silently, but neither one had their eyes closed. They were wide awake, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

Ever so gently, Jack started moving his fingers in small circles in the small of Dan’s back. Dan slowly drew in a deep breath, and he responded by gently rubbing Jack’s chest. Gradually, Jack started to exaggerate his hand movements. He laid his hand flat, and he slowly rubbed it up and down Dan’s back. A few times, as if it had been unintentional, Jack let his hand brush against Dan’s ass, and he let his fingers catch on the T-shirt Dan was wearing. Inch by inch, more and more of Dan’s back was exposed, and Jack eventually let his hand slide underneath Dan’s T-shirt.

Jack felt Dan take in a sharp breath, and he continued to rub his hand on Dan’s bare back. Dan slipped his hand underneath Jack’s T-shirt and started running his fingers through Jack’s chest hair. Jack looked over at Dan and gave him an evil grin. He sat up and put one leg on either side of Dan so that he was kneeling over him. He reached down and slid Dan’s T-shirt up and over his head, and he started making out with Dan.

As they kissed, Jack ran his hands up Dan’s sides, up his arms, and to his wrists. He grabbed them and held Dan’s arms down above his head. Dan was pinned and helpless, just the way Jack wanted it. At the slightest hint of complaint or discomfort from Dan, Jack would’ve immediately stopped and rolled off of him, but Dan was already begging for more. He wanted this just as much as Jack did.

Jack continued to make out with Dan, then started kissing his neck, swirling his tongue around and making Dan writhe underneath him. (Previous partners had told Jack that this tickled them.) Jack kissed Dan’s chest, then he started sucking on Dan’s nipples. Jack had to let go of Dan’s wrists to reach, and Dan’s hands immediately flew up to Jack’s back, where he involuntarily dug his nails into Jack’s back in response to the intensity of what he was feeling. Jack wrapped his arms around Dan, pulling him toward him and up off the bed.

Jack worked his tongue over Dan’s nipples, feeling how hard they were. He grazed one of them with his teeth, and he felt Dan’s grasp around him tighten. Jack bit down, gently at first, then with more pressure. Dan moaned loudly in response. Jack was glad that Phil’s room wasn’t directly next to Dan’s...it sounded like Dan wasn’t going to be quiet.

Jack sat up and took off his T-shirt. He got up off of Dan and laid back down on his side of the bed with his hands behind his head, giving Dan a turn to take the lead and do what he wanted. Dan buried his face in Jack’s armpit, inhaling deeply several times and licking it. Then he kissed Jack, and he started planting little kisses down Jack’s torso, from his sternum to his belly button.

When Dan reached Jack’s waistline, he looked up at Jack as if asking for permission. Jack nodded slightly, and Dan pulled off Jack’s pajama pants and underwear. Jack’s cock sprung out, rock hard. Dan’s eyes widened when he saw Jack’s PA, and he said, “Damn! You didn’t tell me you had a piercing!”

Jack smiled and said slyly, “My little secret. I wanted to surprise you...I hope you like it.”

Dan nodded without taking his eyes off of Jack’s cock. He took it in his hand and started jerking Jack off slowly. Jack responded by getting even harder, and he let out a short breath of pleasure. Dan started stroking Jack faster, and he lowered his face to Jack’s cock. Dan opened his mouth and slapped Jack’s piercing and the head of Jack’s cock against his tongue. He lowered his head further, licking at Jack’s balls and taking them in his mouth, and he licked up and down Jack’s shaft.

Then, without warning, Dan took Jack’s cock in his mouth and started to suck. Jack nearly came right there! Dan certainly had a talented tongue. Dan’s head bobbed up and down, and he glanced up at Jack from time to time to make sure Jack was enjoying himself. Dan reached up and started running his hand over Jack’s chest.

Jack took one of his hands and ran his fingers through Dan’s hair, grabbing a handful and gently tugging. Then he put both hands on the sides of Dan’s head and started exerting some control over what Dan was doing. He manually moved Dan’s head up and down on his cock. He held Dan’s head down with Dan’s nose pressed against his pubes for a few seconds until Dan started to gag. Jack let Dan take a few breaths before he held his head in place and gently fucked his face.

After a few thrusts, Jack was about to explode, and he was sure Dan was ready for a break. So he released Dan’s head and told him to get naked and lay down. Dan obediently stripped off his underwear and pajama bottoms and laid down on his back at Jack’s side, still breathing heavily. Jack was unsurprised to see that Dan was rock hard. He propped himself up on his side and let his hand wander over Dan’s front.

Jack teased Dan, letting his hand get close to Dan’s cock, but never touching it. Dan’s eyes were begging Jack to jerk him off. Jack said teasingly, “You want something from me don’t you?” Dan nodded. “Why don’t you ask me for it, then?” Jack said.

Dan immediately responded, “Please jerk me off, Jack! Please. I need it!”

Jack smiled and said, “Well, alright. Since you’ve asked so nicely...”

Jack took Dan’s cock in his hand and began to jerk him off, and Dan moaned. Dan grabbed Jack’s other hand, pulled it toward his face, and started sucking on Jack’s fingers. Jack jerked Dan off until he felt Dan’s hips begin to buck. Dan was about to cum, so Jack quickly let go. Dan continued to writhe, and he sucked on Jack’s fingers even more vigorously. Eventually, Dan settled down, and Jack began to jerk him off slowly again.

Jack repeated this action several times, bringing Dan to the brink of cumming before releasing his cock, leaving him frustrated. Dan was going wild, and Jack was loving it. This was fun for a while, but Jack was ready to switch things up. He let go of Dan’s cock and started rubbing his body like he had done before he had started edging Dan. Dan’s breathing started to relax, and he surprised Jack when he grabbed ahold of Jack’s hands and placed them on his neck.

Dan looked into Jack’s eyes and said, “Choke me.” It seemed to Jack like this was something Dan had fantasized about a lot, and he was happy to oblige. Jack repositioned himself and wrapped his fingers around Dan’s neck, bringing his thumbs to the center of Dan’s windpipe. Then he squeezed, very gently. Dan wheezed, eyes wide and looking directly at Jack, and he started jerking himself off furiously.

Jack looked back at Dan, turned on by how submissive Dan was. He was barely applying any pressure to Dan’s neck, just enough so that he could feel Dan’s racing pulse beneath his hands. But Dan could feel his grip, and Jack was sure that it was more than enough to satisfy his appetite for this night. After a few moments, Jack let go of Dan’s neck, and he told Dan to stop jerking himself off.

Dan complied immediately, and he propped himself up to kiss Jack. “Thank you, Jack,” Dan said breathlessly. “Are you going to fuck me now?” Dan asked hopefully.

Jack teased, “I dunno. Do you think you can handle it? Do you really want it? Maybe we should stop for the night...”

“No!” Dan exclaimed, “Please, Jack, I _need_ you to fuck me right now. I’ll do anything!”

Jack said, “Oh...? Anything?”

Dan nodded enthusiastically and said, “Yes! Anything.”

A million ideas raced through Jack’s mind, but he said, “Well, that’s something I’ll be sure to keep in mind for the future. But for tonight, I want you to call me ‘Sir.’ Will you do that?”

Dan smiled and said, “Yes, Sir. I’d like that, Sir! What will you call me?”

Jack replied, “I’ll call you boy.” He paused then said, “Now, be a good boy, and get on all fours and arch your back.”

Dan did as Jack said, and Jack got behind him, marveling at his ass. Jack had known that Dan had a good ass, having felt it up before and obviously seen it under his clothes. But seeing it naked in front of him for the first time was doing things to Jack. It was perfectly round and smooth. And it was big. Jack loved a big ass.

Jack put his hands on Dan’s ass to spread his cheeks apart, and he leaned in to start rimming Dan. As his tongue touched Dan’s hole, Dan let out a low moan. Jack started by just brushing the tip of his tongue against Dan’s hole, but he gradually become more and more aggressive until he was practically fucking Dan with his tongue. Dan was in an almost perpetual state of moaning when Jack broke off to ask Dan where he kept his lube.

Dan told him, and Jack retrieved it, not wanting Dan to move a muscle. Jack poured some lube between Dan’s cheeks, and he spread it around with his fingers. Jack started working Dan’s hole with his finger, and Dan’s moaning resumed. Slowly, Jack inserted one finger into Dan. Then two. Then three. Damn, Dan was tight! Jack was definitely going to enjoy fucking him.

Jack worked his three fingers inside of Dan, spreading lube around and massaging Dan’s prostate. Dan’s head was buried in the bed, trying to keep himself from making too much noise. Jack thought Dan was ready. He slipped a condom on and lubed it up. He positioned himself behind Dan and directed his cock towards Dan’s hole. Finding it, he pushed himself about an inch into Dan and stopped, knowing that he needed to wait for Dan to relax.

Dan gasped, and Jack felt Dan clamp down around his cock. Dan drew a few ragged breaths, and Jack said, “Easy, now. Relax, boy.”

Dan replied, “I’m trying, Sir!”

Jack and Dan stayed there for a few more moments before Jack felt Dan relax around him. Now he was ready for more. Inch by inch, Jack eased himself into Dan. He continued slowly until he felt Dan’s ass against his pubes. Then, Jack slowly pulled back out.

Jack repeated a few more slow thrusts before he picked up the pace. The feeling for him was incredible, and Dan was certainly making it known that he was enjoying himself too. As he started thrusting more forcefully, Dan started moving his body forward and backward to meet him. Jack slapped Dan’s ass and said, “Yeah, feels good, doesn’t it, boy?”

Dan replied, “Mmm. Yes, Sir! Jack, don’t stop.”

Just before he was about to cum, Jack pulled out and told Dan to flip over. He wanted to see Dan’s face as he fucked him. Dan laid down on his back. Jack put Dan’s legs up on his shoulders, he planted his hands near Dan’s armpits, and he entered him again. As he did, Jack watched as Dan closed his eyes and opened his mouth in pleasure. Dan wrapped his hands around Jack’s wrists and held on tightly.

As Jack picked up speed again, Dan bit his lower lip and moaned quietly. This helped send Jack over the edge, and he exclaimed. “Mmph. Dan. I’m going to cum!” Dan opened his eyes and watched as Jack’s face contorted in pleasure. Jack stopped thrusting as vigorously, and Dan felt Jack’s cock throb inside him. Dan let go of Jack’s wrist and started jerking himself off. After a few quick tugs, Dan came, and his cum splattered all over his chest.


	9. Revelations

Still breathing deeply, Jack pulled out of Dan and threw the condom in the trash, and Dan cleaned himself up. Jack flopped down beside Dan, and Dan cuddled up against him, their skin still slick with sweat. Dan leaned in to give Jack a quick peck on the lips, and he said, “That was incredible! I’ve never been fucked like that before.”

Jack replied, “It was pretty great, wasn’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed yourself...I certainly did too.”

Dan bit his lower lip before saying, “Actually, I’ve never been fucked period.” Jack looked at Dan. He wasn’t exactly shocked, but he could tell that Dan felt vulnerable telling him this. Dan continued, “I haven’t been with anyone for over nine years, and, before that, I had only been with girls. I always thought I fancied guys too, but I wasn’t completely sure, and there wasn’t exactly a lot of opportunity for me to experiment where I grew up... Anyway, when I first met Phil, when I first started doing YouTube, I was heartbroken. I didn’t want to date or fuck anyone for a long time. And, in the meantime, me and Phil fucking blew up on YouTube.”

“Once I was ready to start seeing people again, I realized that I couldn’t. I didn’t dare make a profile on Grindr or Tinder or anywhere online. If anyone recognized me, it would cause a huge shitstorm within mine and Phil’s audience. Maybe that shouldn’t be a factor in our personal lives, but it is. We care about our audience’s feelings, and there are so many people who just aren’t ready to accept that me and Phil aren’t together. But, even if I did meet someone, online or not, how could I trust them? How could I trust them not to be some creepy stalker or to release a bunch of private information about me if things didn’t work out? Nope, it was better to just not even try.”

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘Oh, but what about Phil? You and Phil would have been _perfect_ together!’ But it was never like that! I met Phil when I needed a friend more than anything in the world, and he was there for me. Maybe if things had been different when we first met, we would have made a go of it. But by the time I was ready to let someone in, we were already like brothers, and we still are today. As our popularity grew on YouTube, we leaned on each other more and more. We’ve had to weather so much shit through the years, and we’ve done it together. I could never, ever think of Phil in a sexual or romantic way. It would be like committing incest!”

Jack had listened patiently. He was glad that Dan felt comfortable confiding in him, but he wasn’t exactly sure why Dan was telling him this last bit about Phil. Jack tried to choose his words carefully. “Dan, I honestly wasn’t thinking that at all. Like I said when we first started talking, I’ve never thought of you and Phil as anything other than really close friends. I thought that there was perhaps more to your meeting than you’ve ever said publicly, but I wasn’t going to pressure you into telling me anything. I didn’t need to know, and you’re entitled to have some secrets from me.”

Dan looked away from Jack’s eyes and said, “So many people online believe and say that me and Phil are together. I constantly have to tell people in my real life that it’s not true. I just don’t want you to ever feel threatened by mine and Phil’s relationship...”

Jack let out a laugh. He couldn’t help himself. Dan looked back at him with some hurt in his eyes, and Jack said, “Oh, is that what this is about? Dan! You shouldn’t have been worried about that! I know that you would never do anything to hurt me, and...” Jack trailed off, wondering if he should finish the sentence. He guessed there was no going back now. He had already started, so he continued, “And…and I love you, Dan. I trust you completely, and I love you.” Jack’s heart was beating in his chest. He thought he knew that Dan felt the same way, but he couldn’t be absolutely sure.

Dan looked at him as if he were about to burst into tears, but he said, “I love you too Jack!” And then Dan did start crying, but they were happy tears. “I...I never really thought I’d meet someone like you. But now you’re here, and you’re wonderful. I love you so fucking much, Jack!”

Jack squeezed Dan extra tight, fighting back tears of his own. He said, “I love you too, Dan! I love you. I love you. I love you. I’m so happy that we’ve found each other, and I never want to let you go.”

In the back of his mind, Jack remembered that he was going to _have_ to let Dan go, at least temporarily. In a week, he had to go back to America. But Jack quickly pushed the thought away. A week was a long time. An eternity, really. Right now, he was here with Dan, and he was happy. That was enough. Jack and Dan gushed to each other about their feelings for a while longer, glowing from the sensation of having said that they loved each other for the first time. But it was late, and their conversation didn’t last too long. With Dan in his arms, Jack fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

The next morning, Jack and Dan woke up together. “Good morning!” Dan said to Jack, brushing his hand against the side of Jack’s face. “Do you want to take a shower with me?” Jack did, so they made their way to the bathroom. They hadn’t had a chance to shower after fooling around last night before they fell asleep, and they were both feeling a bit grimy. Dan turned on the water and jumped in the shower, and Jack followed him in.

Jack started to soap Dan up when Dan said, “So, you like to be called Sir?” Jack smiled and said, “Yep. But only in the bedroom. Actually, what we did last night was pretty wild... You sure know how to bring out the Dom in me!”

Dan put his hand on Jack’s chest and said, “I like being your boy, Sir.”

Jack felt his cock jump, and he raised his eyebrows. “I’m glad to hear it. You can be my boy every night of the week if you want… It’s hard to believe that you were willing to do everything we did considering it was your first time with a guy. And you were good too!”

Dan replied, “Lol, thanks. Yeah, nine years is a long time to go without having any sex. You know what I mean? It gives you a lot of time to fantasize about what you’d like to do… And, erm, I’ve developed quite the list of fantasies.”

Jack had been soaping up Dan’s back, and Dan reached behind him and started jerking off Jack’s semi-erect cock. Jack responded, “Well, we’ll just have to see what we can make happen this week, won’t we?”

Dan turned around, and Jack pressed him back into the shower wall and started making out with him. When Jack was fully hard, Dan got down on his knees and started sucking Jack’s cock. Before too long, Dan had brought Jack to the edge of cumming, and Jack shot his load into Dan’s mouth. Dan licked all the cum he could from Jack’s cock and piercing and swallowed the whole load in one gulp.

Dan stood up. He was rock hard, and he said sheepishly to Jack, “Thanks, Sir. I’ve always wanted to do that.” Jack reached for Dan’s cock to start jerking him off, but Dan turned away.

Jack asked, “Don’t you want to get off, boy?”

Dan replied, “No, I...I’d rather wait until tonight. I want to be horny and frustrated all day for you.”

Jack grinned wickedly and said, “Alright, boy. So be it.” Jack resumed soaping Dan up, and Dan returned the favor for him. When they were both thoroughly clean, they got out of the shower and started preparing for the rest of the day.


	10. AmazingPhil

Days were passing by faster than Jack could believe, and every day was a new adventure. Jack and Dan and Phil played some more League, but only a few games each day. They also started played Fortnite, Switch games, and various board games, and Dan tried to get Jack into Guild Wars 2. Jack had played a bit before, but he struggled with the grinding aspect of MMORPGs. Nevertheless, he enjoyed the experience of sharing one of Dan’s main interests with him.

Sometimes, Jack and Dan (and occasionally Phil) went outside. They saw a movie together. They went to see a play in the West End, and they ran errands together from time to time. But, for the most part, they stayed in Dan and Phil’s apartment. Jack didn’t mind. At home, he was a bit of a shut-in himself, and he knew it was better for Dan and Phil not to be seen too many times with the same unknown man. He hadn’t forgotten the incident in San Francisco, and neither had Dan and Phil’s audience.

After each day was over, every night was a new adventure too. Every night, Jack and Dan played out some new, ever more depraved fantasy of theirs. Dan seemed bound and determined to make up for years of abstinence with Jack, and Jack was only too happy to oblige him. Jack was more than pleased that Dan had turned out to be just as kinky as he was. Being so sexually compatible made Jack feel even closer to Dan, and he was savoring every minute of their time together each night.

One morning, toward the end of the week, Dan had to run out to take care of a work matter, and Jack had decided not to come along. Jack thought it was healthy to take a short break from seeing so much of each other, and Dan was going to have to sit in on a long meeting anyway. After Dan left, Jack was sitting in the living room working on his computer when Phil walked in.

“Hey, Jack. How’s it going?” Phil asked.

Jack stretched and said, “It’s fine. It’s work. You know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Phil responded. He paused, then said, “Listen, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?”

Jack didn’t like that wording. He suddenly felt anxious, but he closed his laptop and said, “Sure, Phil. What’s up?”

Phil sat down next to Jack and said, “Things have been getting pretty serious between you and Dan this week, haven’t they?”

Phil looked over at Jack, who nodded and said, “Yeah. They have. Honestly, it’s been the best week of my life.”

Phil looked away from Jack down at his hands, nodded, and said, “I can tell. I haven’t seen Dan on such a happiness high in...well, ever!” He paused before saying, “Seeing him so happy makes me happy. I’m happy for him, and I’m happy for you...but I’m also worried.”

“Me and Dan have been through so much together. We’ve had our highs, and we’ve had our lows. Some of the lows have been tough, especially for Dan. And I just don’t want to see him get hurt. I know Dan, and it’s really hard for him to trust people. I’ve known him for almost ten years, and he still shuts me out sometimes! But I can tell that he trusts you. He trusts you more than anyone else we’ve met since I’ve known him, and he’s falling for you...”

Phil looked back over at Jack and said, “So, erm, I was just...I just wanted to ask you if you would promise me that you won’t do anything to hurt Dan? Promise me that his trust in you isn’t misplaced and that I can trust you too?”

Jack felt like his insides were melting. He felt so glad that Dan had a friend like Phil to protect him and always have his best interests at heart. The bond that existed between Dan and Phil was incredible.

A bit overwhelmed, Jack took a moment to respond, and Phil looked at him expectantly. Eventually, Jack found his words, and he said earnestly, “Phil. I promise. I _swear_ . You never have to worry about me intentionally hurting Dan. _Ever_ . I...I love him, and I’ve told him so. I want to make him as happy as he makes me. I want to be his cheerleader when he’s upset. I want to _be_ with him...You can trust me, Phil. I promise you can. I won’t let you down.”

Phil smiled widely in relief, and he said, “I believe you! I never really doubted you, but I just wanted to be sure…” He trailed off and looked away again.

Jack said, “You’re a good friend, Phil. Dan’s lucky to have someone like you in his life.” Jack was feeling an enormous amount of affection for Phil, so he said, “I think this calls for a hug. What do you say?”

Phil smiled, replied, “I say hell yeah!” and he and Jack got up and embraced. Jack felt a new connection with Phil. They both loved Dan, in different ways, but they both loved him all the same.

Phil said, “So you and Dan have said that you love each other? That’s incredible! Dan’s never had a boyfriend before.”

Jack’s face fell, and he responded awkwardly, “Well, actually, um, we haven’t quite...talked about that yet...”

Jack had avoided talking with Dan about their relationship status for a reason. It made him think about what their future was going to look like. At the beginning of the week, it had been easy to forget that Jack was eventually going to return to his home in America. Now that the week was drawing to a close, this fact had become almost impossible to ignore.

The last time Jack had said goodbye to Dan in San Francisco, it had been painful, but manageable. Now, Jack felt about a million times closer to Dan, and he expected saying goodbye this time would be about a million times more painful. But talking with Phil had brought things into sharp focus for Jack. He didn’t want to be in a long-distance relationship with Dan. He wanted to be _with_ Dan!

Sensing the wheels spinning in Jack’s brain, Phil changed the subject. “Do you want to play some League? You’ll be surprised at how much I’ve improved since our last game. My Talon is clean as fuck,” Phil said, doing a poor imitation of the way League Twitch streamers spoke.

As Phil had intended, Jack was immediately pulled out of his thoughts, and he had to laugh out loud at what Phil had said. “Alright, you’re on!” Jack responded enthusiastically.


	11. Saboteur

Later that day, Dan arrived home in a foul mood. Phil and Jack heard him come in while they were playing a game of League and yelled their hellos, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he just went straight to his room. Jack was a bit put off, but he figured Dan might just be tired. He decided he would give Dan a bit of time to decompress and would check in on him after he finished his game with Phil.

A half hour later, Jack gently knocked at Dan’s door, but he got no response. Starting to feel worried, Jack entered Dan’s room without permission. Dan was sitting on his bed with his laptop, scrolling furiously. He didn’t look up. Jack furrowed his brow. He closed the door behind him, sat down on the bed facing Dan, and asked, “Dan, what’s wrong?”

Dan mumbled, ”Nothing. I’m just looking at Tumblr.”

Jack studied Dan’s face for a few moments before he responded, “Dan, you’re not even looking at me. There’s obviously something wrong. I can leave you be if that’s what you need right now, but you’re worrying me...”

Dan stayed silent for a moment, then he said, still not looking up at Jack, “Yeah, you should just leave me now. It’s gonna happen eventually. Might as well get it over with.”

Jack felt like Dan had slapped him in the face. He responded, “What? What are you talking about? _Please_ look at me, and tell me what’s going on.”

Dan shut his laptop with a huff and looked at Jack angrily. He said, “You want to talk? Fine. Let’s do it. This morning was the first time we’ve spent apart since you arrived, and I got a chance to clear my head. And I realized there’s no way you should be with me. You’ve only ever seen me at my best, but I’m a completely different person when I’m depressed.”

“If you stayed with me, I’d only be deadweight holding you back. You don’t deserve to be put through that, and you’d realize it soon enough. You’d realize you deserve someone better than me. Then you’d leave me, and I’d be all alone again. I’ve been alone for a long time now, and I’ve been fine. But now you’ve come along and changed everything...”

As Dan had spoken, his anger had quickly turned into sadness, and Jack had watched in agony as Dan’s eyes filled with tears and as one had started to roll down Dan’s cheek. At the end of his speech, Dan sniffed and looked down at his hands. He said quietly, “If we end things now, then I’ll be fine...eventually. I’m just no good for you, Jack… You should go.”

Jack couldn’t take it anymore. He had let Dan say what he needed to say, but Jack couldn’t stop himself from comforting Dan any longer. He got up and sat back down  beside Dan. Gently, he took hold of Dan’s chin, made Dan look at him in the eyes, and said, “Dan, I’m not going anywhere.” Dan couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. He leaned forward, buried his face into Jack’s shoulder, and started to cry softly.

Jack started to rub Dan’s back, and he said, “I love you. How could you possibly think that I could ever feel that way? You know me better than that! I want to be with you. All of you. If I couldn’t accept you at your worst, it would be me who didn’t deserve you. All relationships are hard...I don’t expect ours to be any different. But I believe in us. I believe we can make it work. Please don’t push me away.”

Dan sniffed and said, “I’m sorry, Jack. I’m sorry that I lashed out. I do know you better than that. I’m just scared. I’m already so head-over-heels in love with you that I can hardly breathe when I think about you leaving in a few days. What’s going to happen then? I…I don’t want you to leave.”

Jack drew in a deep breath. He felt exactly the same way. As he had played League with Phil earlier in the day, Jack had thought long and hard about what he should do, and he had come to the conclusion that only one course of action felt right. Jack said, “I don’t want to leave either... Dan, I know it’s a lot… I know we’ve barely known each other for two months. But I was wondering...what would you think if I moved to London?”

Dan looked at Jack in surprise and said, “What?”

Jack started talking quickly. “Yeah, I know it’s sudden. And crazy! And fast. But I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. I don’t think people get many chances in life to have what we could have, and I think it’s worth it to take a risk. And it’s not like I have to quit my job or anything. You’ve seen that I can work anywhere. The only things tying me down to America are my friends and family, but they want me to be happy. They’d be surprised, but I know they’d understand! I know it!”

Jack continued more slowly, “I can stay in the UK without a visa for up to six months, and I think we could use those six months to see how things go and give our relationship a real chance. If things don’t work out, I can always move back to America. But just think about if they do work out. Isn’t it worth it to give it a shot? I just…I dunno. What...what do you think, Dan?”

Every second that passed felt like an eternity to Jack. Finally, Dan said, “I want to give our relationship a shot too, and I would love it if we could live together in the same city. But, Jack, are you sure? This is such a huge thing for you to do...”

Jack immediately responded, “Yes! I want to do this. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you, Dan.”

Dan leaned forward and kissed Jack. Then he sat back and smiled. “I love you too! Alright, let’s do it. Let’s give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Jack felt as though he could cry with happiness. He wrapped his arms around Dan and gave him a tight hug, then he went in for a kiss. He loved Dan so much, and he could only foresee that love growing with them together in London.


	12. Surprise

Jack had been back in America for a few days. Leaving Dan in London had been hard, but it wasn’t that bad because they both knew it was only for a few weeks. Jack needed to sublet his apartment, ship what he needed to London, and put the rest of his things in storage. While Jack was in America, Dan and Phil were looking around London for apartments for him to rent. He was sure they would be able to find something suitable in his price range that wasn’t too far away from their own apartment.

When he had gotten back to America, Jack had told his family about his intentions. Understandably, they were pretty shocked, but, when they saw how strongly Jack felt about what he was doing, they came around and were supportive. Even so, Jack’s mom couldn’t bear to think about not seeing Jack for six months. He assured her that he would visit as often as he could, and he promised he would call every week.

After a long morning of packing his belongings into boxes, Jack saw that he had a text from Dan. “hey. when you get a chance, will you watch this new video of mine? i want to know what you think before i publish it. youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ”

Jack thought that was odd. When he was in London, Dan had said that his next video probably wouldn’t be coming until next month. And Jack wasn’t sure what kind of input he could provide anyway. Nevertheless, Jack figured he could use a break (and he kinda wanted to see Dan’s face), so he responded to Dan’s text, “Sure! I’ll watch it right now.” He sat down at his computer and opened up Dan’s video. It was titled, “Sharing My Truth.”

“Hello, internet. For a long time, I’ve never shared certain aspects of my private life with you. It’s been easier and more comfortable to be ambiguous and let some of the things that people say about me online go unchallenged. And frankly, I’ve felt that a lot of what I’m about to tell you is none of your damn business. But things have changed, and now I want to let you all a little deeper into my world.”

There was a cut in the video, and Phil was sitting with Dan. Dan continued, “Now, this video is personal to me, but I couldn’t make this part without Phil because it’s about both of us. Say hi, Phil.”

Phil smiled, said, “Hi, guys!” and waved his hand.

Dan turned back to the camera and went on, “So, I’m going to get right into it. I know this is going to be hard for a lot of you to hear...but Phan isn’t real, and it never was. Now, don’t freak out! That doesn’t mean that Phil and I aren’t best friends and soulmates forever.”

Phil interjected, “And it doesn’t mean that we don’t love each other because we do!”

Dan continued, “Right, and it also doesn’t mean that our videos are going to change at all. When we make videos together, we aren’t acting. What you’ve always seen is our genuine dynamic.”

Phil was nodding, and he said, “All that this means is that our relationship is purely platonic, and it always has been.”

Dan and Phil went on to talk about the various pieces of evidence that “proved” that they were presently or had in the past been together. The style of the video was unlike any Jack had ever seen on Dan’s channel. It was completely stripped down with minimal jokes and editing. It felt like Dan and Phil were speaking directly to him and just having a frank, honest conversation. Jack liked this style of video. He was proud of Dan and Phil for finally wanting to be more upfront with their audience, but he also feared that he was somehow inadvertently responsible for pressuring Dan into making a video that he and Phil didn’t really want to make.

After Dan and Phil had finished going through the evidence, piece by piece, Dan said, “Alright, thanks, Phil. I’ll take it from here.”

Phil said, “Right-o, Dan. Bye, guys!”

The video cut again, and Dan was sitting alone again. He continued, “So what’s changed? Why are me and Phil telling you this?” He took a deep breath. “The truth is that I’ve met someone. I’ve fallen in love with him and I’ve never been happier in my entire life. When you’re in love, you want to share it with the people who matter most to you. At least, that’s how I feel, and you guys matter to me more than you’ll probably ever know.”

“I’m also so sick and tired of trying to hide things from you. Of sneaking around. Of keeping myself up at night worrying that I might have made a mistake or missed something that’s going to cause a shitstorm online. It’s been exhausting, and I want to be done with it. I want to be able to walk down the street in broad daylight holding hands with my boyfriend, and I don’t want to have to worry that someone might take a creepshot or that someone who watches my videos might run into us and be confused or upset.”

“Like I said, I know this is all a lot for me to put on all of you so suddenly. I know it will take some time for you to process it. So take some deep breaths. Stay hydrated. Get some rest. But, please, don’t be upset. Nothing is changing, except that I’m being more honest with you. I’m sharing my truth, and I’m asking you to be happy for me. Don’t let me down, guys... Bye.”

Jack sat back in his chair. His mind was a jumble of thoughts, but he immediately reached for his phone to video chat with Dan. Dan answered, and Jack couldn’t help but smile seeing him. Dan smiled back. “Hi!” Jack said, waving.

“Hi!” Dan replied, waving back. Then, his smile quickly faded. “So you saw my new video...what do you think?”

Jack replied, “Yeah… It’s really a great video! Really well made and articulated, and I liked its style. But...but I hope I haven’t done anything to make you feel pressured into making a video like this. You and Phil don’t have to do anything because of me. I can handle doing what needs to be done to help you and Phil maintain your privacy. I understand that that’s a part of what it means to be with you, and I’m totally willing to accept that.”

Dan was shaking his head. “No, Jack. I don’t feel pressured by you. I feel pressured by me. And Phil feels the same way. All the reasons I gave in the video for wanting to make it were the real ones. I’m tired of hiding who I am. I’m tired of having to sneak around. And I love you, Jack. Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to scream it from the rooftops! You give me the confidence to try new things and let my wall down online.”

Dan continued, “But I understand if you don’t want me to put this video out there. You _never_ have to be a part of my videos or public life on social media if you don’t want to. This is my career, not yours. If it makes you uncomfortable for me to refer to you in the video, even if it’s not by name, then please just tell me... You should also know that, if I publish this video, sooner or later, the internet is going to figure out who you are. When you’re back here in London, we’re inevitably going to be seen together from time to time, and it’s not going to be that hard to connect the dots.”

Jack rolled his eyes and said, “Dan! You should give me more credit than that! I’ve been watching YouTube for a long time, and I was a fan of you and Phil before I knew you. I know how these things work, and I’m prepared...well, okay. Maybe I don’t know _exactly_ what it will be like, but I feel the same way you do! I want to shout about our relationship from the rooftops. I want everyone to know that we’re together. And I don’t want you to have to hide anything about yourself, especially because of me. If it’s what you want to do, you should publish the video. You have to!”

Dan said, “Alright, I will! I’ll do it right after I’m done talking with you. I don’t even feel nervous...just excited. I love you, Jack. I can’t wait until you’re back in London.”

Jack replied, “I love you too, Dan. I can’t wait to be with you either!” They said their goodbyes, and Jack sat thinking for a while in front of his laptop.

Pretty soon, Jack got a notification saying that Dan had tweeted about his new video. Feeling bold, Jack decided to reply to the tweet. He said, “@danielhowell This is a fantastic video, and I’m so proud of you! I love you no matter what, and I’m so happy that you’re living your truth. (Sparkling Heart )”

Jack smiled as he saw that Dan liked the tweet. _Well, that’s that._ Jack thought to himself. Then he got up and went back to work packing up his apartment.


	13. Aftermath

The response to Dan’s video had been overwhelmingly positive. Unsurprisingly, all of Dan and Phil’s YouTube friends had publicly congratulated them for the video. They knew about the struggle Dan and Phil had gone through for years, and they were happy for Dan for finding someone that made him happy. Even the most die-hard Dan and Phil shippers could tell how happy Dan was to be with his boyfriend, even if it wasn’t Phil, and they were eventually happy for Dan and accepted what he and Phil had said...for the most part.

Of course, Dan’s video also had some consequences. Dan and Phil’s audience immediately wanted to know more. Since Dan had explicitly stated that he was attracted to a man for the first time ever in a video, they treated it like a coming out video. Some people wanted Phil to make a coming out video now, or they at least wanted to know more about Phil’s sexuality. A lot of people wanted to know if Phil was single. People wanted to know why Dan and Phil had never gotten together. In his video, Dan had given his reasons why he wanted to make the video, but Phil hadn’t. So some people wanted to know that too. The questions were endless.

Dan and Phil had anticipated this, and they announced shortly after the video came out that they would do a joint liveshow that weekend where they would talk about Dan’s video and answer as many questions as they could. The weekend was a few days away, but they wanted to give everyone some time to see Dan’s video and let its message sink in.

During the liveshow, Phil said that he was completely supportive when Dan suggested that they make the video together. He too was tired of having to sneak around and try to avoid saying anything that would explicitly prove or disprove Phan. He was happy that Dan’s relationship had given them the excuse to make the video.

Since the themes of Dan’s video and the liveshow were honesty and openness, Phil decided to take the opportunity to come out as bisexual. He said he had never talked about it before because the question of their sexualities and the nature of his and Dan’s relationship had always been closely tied together. Now that they were talking about one, he didn’t feel any hesitance talking about the other.

Dan and Phil acknowledged that, since they were both attracted to men (in addition to women), it was natural to wonder why they had never even considered dating. Dan explained what he had already told Jack. He was just looking for friends when he met Phil, and, as they grew closer, their bond had always been like one between brothers. Them getting together had been unthinkable from a very early point in their relationship. Phil said they were considering making a video about all of this on his channel.

During the liveshow, many people expressed concern about the future. If Dan and Phil weren’t a couple, that would mean, at some point in the future, things would have to change. They would have to move out to start families with their future spouses, right? Dan and Phil avoided answering any questions on this topic. Of course, people also wanted to know who Dan’s boyfriend was and if they would ever see him on Dan’s channel, and Dan ignored all of these questions as well.

The identity of Dan’s boyfriend was too big of a mystery for some members of Dan and Phil’s audience to ignore, however. A lot of people thought Dan’s boyfriend was probably another major YouTuber or maybe even a mainstream celebrity, but others were looking elsewhere. The photo taken of Dan in the club in San Francisco resurfaced, and some people recognized Jack in the photo from his profile picture on the tweet that Dan had liked. The connection was pretty tenuous, but some people nevertheless made the leap to believing that Jack _must_ be Dan’s anonymous boyfriend.

Before too long, Jack started receiving tons of new attention on Twitter. Most people were nice, congratulating him on his relationship or thanking him for making Dan happy. Some people said some really weird or incoherent things to him, and others were not so nice. There were some people who were _sure_ that Jack had split Dan and Phil up or that he was going to steal Dan away from Phil. Their tweets ranged from saying more mild things like how much they hated Jack or thought he was too ugly for Dan all the way up to death threats.

Jack took all of this in stride. He could very easily have made his Twitter account private...all of his other social media accounts already were. But he didn’t. He wanted to see what Dan and Phil’s audience wanted to say to him. If nothing else, he figured it was good practice for when Dan officially revealed Jack’s identity. Jack was touched by the nice tweets he received, and he was completely unphased by the nasty things that were said to and about him.

The mean tweets he got were so lacking in substance that Jack would have almost found them amusing, except he knew that these tweets were probably coming from a place of pain. Jack wished he could reassure the people who sent them that everything was going to be alright, but, so as to neither confirm nor deny his relationship with Dan, he had decided to completely ignore all of the tweets that were sent to him for the time being.

As this had all been happening, Jack had finished his move to London. Dan and Phil had found him a great apartment a ten minute walk away from their place, and Jack was settling in to his new surroundings. After a whirlwind two and half months since they first met, Jack and Dan were trying to take things slow, but they were finding it difficult. They just never seemed to get tired of spending time with each other.

As introverts, Jack and Dan both needed their alone time. Working from home, though, they found that their work days were usually sufficient enough breaks from human interaction that they wanted to spend most of their evenings together. More often than not, Jack would find himself sleeping in Dan’s bed or Dan sleeping in his. (Jack definitely had no complaints about their sex life.) They were spending most of their weekends together too, sometimes with Phil, sometimes alone.

One weekend, not long after Jack had arrived in London, Jack and Dan made a rare decision to go outside for a walk in a park. It was a lovely crisp autumn afternoon, and Jack wanted to see the trees before they dropped all their leaves. He wasn’t disappointed. The park was beautiful! As they walked down a path, Dan took Jack’s hand. Jack had to smile. Dan was doing exactly what he had said he wanted to do in his video.

Suddenly, Jack heard a shrill voice behind him shout from a distance, “Dan! Phil! Wait!” They turned around and saw a gangly girl running toward them. She looked like she was about fourteen. She stopped in front of them, panting. “I saw you...from across the park! ...Had to say hello!”

She looked up with a smile at Dan, but it fell when she looked at Jack. “Wait...who are…?” Her voice trailed off as her brow furrowed in confusion. Then, her face lit up again. She gasped and turned back to Dan, exclaiming, “Is this your boyfriend?”

Dan looked over at Jack, who was smiling. Jack inclined his head slightly, and Dan said, “Erm, yeah. It is, actually...”

She quickly turned back to Jack, looked up at him, and flung her arms around him. She said, “Thank you for making Dan happy!” She turned to Dan and flung her arms around him enthusiastically. “And thank you for all of your videos. I watch them whenever I feel sad, and they make me feel like I’m not so alone.”

Dan hugged her back and said, “I’m so happy I can do that for you. Do you want to take a selfie?”

She grinned, said “Yes, please!” and pulled her phone out of her pocket. As Dan got into selfie position, she looked over at Jack and beckoned him to come closer, saying, “Come here! I want you to be in it too!”

Startled, Jack said, “Oh, okay.” He walked over, crouched down, and Dan snapped a couple of photos.

Dan gave the girl back her phone, and she clutched it to her chest. She beamed and said, “Thank you so much! You know, you two are really cute together!” She giggled to herself, and Jack blushed.

Dan said, “Aww, thank you! You’ve made our day. I hope you have a good weekend. Bye now!”

“Bye!” she replied. She waved, turned around, and ran off.

The whole experience felt surreal to Jack. Reading nice tweets was one thing, but meeting someone like that in person was something entirely different. The energy of that girl had been so pure. Jack felt like he was invincible, on top of the world.

Dan was looking at him and asked, “Are you alright?”

Jack responded, “Alright? That was fucking incredible! That girl was so sweet. I love her!”

Dan grinned, took Jack’s hand again, and resumed walking down the path. He said, “Now you know why me and Phil say we have the best audience in the world. People like her totally make up for all the shit we have to put up with as YouTubers.”

Jack knew it must be true. If ever Dan’s fame put a strain on their relationship in the future, Jack resolved to remember back to this moment and remind himself why it was all worth it.


	14. The Long Haul

Six months had passed in the blink of an eye, and Jack could no longer imagine his life without Dan. When he used to think about his future, Jack had imagined getting married to some faceless, anonymous husband, having kids with him, and growing old together. Now, that faceless man had been replaced by Dan.

Over the past six months, Jack and Dan’s love for each other had only grown. They still saw each other practically every day, and they were still excited to spend time with each other. They never took each other for granted.

That wasn’t to say that their relationship was perfect. This wasn’t a fairytale, and they had their disagreements from time to time, as every couple does. But they worked through them every time, and Jack always felt like they were on the same team, both working hard to make their relationship successful.

Over the past six months, Jack had slowly been introduced more and more to Dan and Phil’s audience. First, he was in an Instagram story, then an Instagram post. He made a few off-camera cameos in their YouTube videos, and the trio started interacting more on Twitter. Finally, Dan asked Jack if he wanted to be officially introduced in one of his YouTube videos.

Jack knew this was a big step. It would make their relationship infinitely more public, and there would be a lot more cleanup to do if he and Dan ever broke up. But Jack wasn’t worried about any of that. He felt ready to take this step with Dan. So they made the video together, and they didn’t look back.

Now, Jack needed to take another big step in that he needed to apply for a long-term visa to continue to stay in England. Jack was extremely grateful that his grandmother had been born in Liverpool, making him eligible to apply for a “UK Ancestry” visa. Being self-employed, he otherwise would have had to apply for an “Entrepreneur” visa or find a new job with a UK employer, and both of those options were somewhat messy and less than ideal.

Jack also needed to find a new apartment. The sublease on his current apartment was ending, and the owner was returning to live there again. Jack had done some online research and scouted out a few places he wanted to take a look at. He wanted Dan to come with him, not just for his company but also to offer his opinion. Dan knew what to look out for in English apartments better than Jack did, and he would presumably be spending a lot of time in Jack’s apartment too.

When Jack asked Dan if he would be willing to look at apartments with him, Dan took a moment to respond. When he did speak, he said, “Listen, Jack... I’ve been thinking about this a lot. And I was wondering… I was wondering if you’d like it if I moved in with you when you moved.”

Jack hadn’t seen this coming at all and felt stunned. He immediately liked the idea, but it also worried him. Before he could stop himself, he heard himself blurting out, “Uh...but what about Phil?”

Dan looked a little hurt and said, “Well, I can’t live with Phil forever, can I? And I really like the idea of living with you. I just thought that it might make sense since you were moving anyway and all. You know what I mean? But I get it if you’re not ready yet...”

Jack quickly replied, “No, no, no! It’s not that at all. I really like the idea of living with you too! It’s just that...it’s just that I don’t like the idea of you having to change your relationship with Phil for me. I...” He trailed off and looked away from Dan. An idea had occurred to him, and he needed to quickly think it through before he said it aloud.

Dan started to respond with a slight edge in his voice, “I mean, I don’t like it much either. Phil’s my best friend, but you’re my _boyfriend_. Eventually, things have to change! I...”

Jack looked back to Dan with a smile on his face. “Wait, Dan! What if I move in with you and Phil? Would that work? I think it would! Your place is plenty big enough for the three of us. You already have your filming locations set up there, and best of all, we both get to live with Phil! I’d...I’d really love that. What do you think?”

It was Dan’s turn to be surprised. After a moment, he said, “Is that really what you want? Don’t you want some privacy? A place to be alone as a couple? I think you’re letting mine and Phil’s public careers together get in the way of our relationship, and I don’t want you to do that.”

Jack shook his head and said emphatically, “No, it’s more than that. What you and I have is special, but what you and Phil have is also special. I think you belong together, and I don’t think I could stand it knowing that I had taken that away from you. And, anyway, I love Phil! I want this for all three of us. It feels right to me!”

Dan stared at Jack for a moment, then a smile broke out on his face, and he gave Jack a kiss. He said, “You’re crazy. You know that? And I love you for it. If you’re sure about this, then I’m on board. Let’s do it!”

Jack responded cheerily, “I love you too, Dan, and I’m definitely sure. Now we just need to convince Phil to let me move in!”

It turned out that Phil wasn’t that difficult to convince. He was skeptical at first, not wanting to get in the way of Jack and Dan’s relationship. But after a few enthusiastic assurances that this was what Jack and Dan both wanted, he was really keen on the idea, and he encouraged Jack to make Dan and Phil’s apartment his home.

Jack had the feeling that he and Dan and Phil were going to be together for a long time to come. Sure, there would be challenges; the future is always uncertain. But he couldn’t imagine anything that could come between him and Dan or between Dan and Phil. Life was good. Jack was happy and deeply in love with Dan, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.


	15. Epilogue

Jack’s feeling had been correct. Jack and Dan and Phil lived their whole lives together. For many years, they lived together in what had originally been Dan and Phil’s apartment, and they shared many happy memories there. It was where Jack and Dan’s relationship had first started, and it ended up being where Jack proposed to Dan. They started their life together as a married couple in that apartment.

Eventually, Phil met a man named Tim who made him just as happy as Jack made Dan. Like Jack, Tim understood the special bond between Dan and Phil, and he had no desire to pull them apart. He ended up moving in with Jack and Dan and Phil, and Phil eventually proposed to him. The trio became a quartet.

After they had been married for a few years, Jack and Dan and Phil and Tim independently started talking about starting families together. When the two couples shared their plans with each other, no one was surprised that they had come to the same idea at the same time. They had all become pretty well synched with each other. Jack, Dan, Phil, and Tim quickly agreed that it was the right time to get a bigger place. There was no talk about splitting up. It hadn’t really even crossed anyone’s mind as an actual possibility.

The quartet found and purchased a home in a London suburb. It was large enough for two full families, and they hoped it would be their forever home. As the two couples began the long process of having kids by adoption and surrogacy, each couple bought a dog, a long-time dream of Dan and Phil’s. By the time their dogs were a few years old, Jack and Dan and Phil and Tim’s families were both complete.

Their kids each had two official parents and different surnames, but the distinction between father and uncle, sibling and cousin, didn’t really matter. They were raised communally -- it was so much easier to share parental responsibilities among four adults rather than two -- and they were all part of one close family.

Some outsiders didn’t understand their living situation. They thought it was weird or even wrong. Jack’s position was that those people could go fuck themselves. Their opinions had no bearing on his family’s life, and they didn’t need anyone’s approval. They were happy, and their arrangement worked for them. That was all that mattered.

Through the years, Dan and Phil were able to maintain their popularity online. As Dan and Phil got older, their audience aged with them, and their content evolved as they matured and as their lives changed. Jack and Tim appeared in Dan and Phil’s videos from time to time, and they were happy to help their husbands make new videos. But Dan’s channel never became Jack and Dan’s, and Phil’s channel never became Phil and Tim’s. Jack and Tim had their own careers, and they both thought it was important for some aspects of their lives to remain separate. YouTube was Dan and Phil’s thing. That was the way it should be.

In old age, Jack often looked back at his life, and he sometimes wondered how he had gotten so lucky. What would have happened if he had never written Dan and Phil a letter all those years ago? What if he hadn’t gotten VIP tickets to Interactive Introverts? What if Dan hadn’t recognized him? Would any of this have ever happened?

In an alternate reality where he had never gotten to know Dan personally, would he still have a husband that he loved as much as Dan? Would he have children who were equally as wonderful as the ones he had now, and would he still feel like he had the family of his dreams? Jack didn’t know, and he didn’t spend too much time dwelling on it. He figured life had a funny way of working out in the end, and he was just grateful that his life had worked out the way it had.

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW**
> 
> I was motivated to write this story because I could find very few stories in which Dan is with a man who’s not Phil. Of the stories I found, all of them were in an AU or contained some pretty hard-core unhappy themes (cheating, abuse, rape, suicide, etc.) that I didn’t want to read. Unlike those stories, this is a pretty simple story about how Dan and a man called Jack fall in love with each other, and it has a happy ending in which Dan and Phil are not torn apart. I wouldn’t call it fluff because there’s definitely some conflict. But it’s relatively minor and is quickly resolved, so I wouldn’t call it angst either.
> 
> There’s definitely some smut in this story, and its location in the story, rating, and general contents are listed below. Besides the smutty parts, I believe the majority of this story merits a “Teen” rating.
> 
>   * Chapter 4, Second Half (After the horizontal line). Mature. Descriptions of making out and groping. No sex.
>   * Chapter 8. Explicit. Graphic descriptions of rough oral and anal sex. BDSM themes. Other kinky sex acts, including edging, (light) choking, and rimming. All safe and consentual!
>   * Chapter 9, Second Half (After the horizontal line). Explicit. Sensual nudity. Light D/s. Description of oral sex.
> 



End file.
